


Ruri In Wonderland

by merryfortune



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland, F/F, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 01:10:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18681064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merryfortune/pseuds/merryfortune
Summary: Ruri reflects on her adventures in Wonderland before embarking on her next adventure.





	Ruri In Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EntameWitchLulu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntameWitchLulu/gifts).



> Hello homura-bakura, I was your secret easter bunny for the ygo ship fest exchange <3

   Ruri inched closer to the edge. She felt the breeze in her hair, and she heard people behind her cooing, egging her on. But she didn’t care for the murmured shouts of those people; the friends whom she had made on this adventure but the friends whom she had to leave behind and the friends whom she would not take with her. The only person she cared for was Serena.

   And Serena stood by her side.

   Ruri shifted. The chiffon and lace and silk of all her lilac and blue petticoats and skirts bouncing with even the slightest movement. Her collar ate at her neck slightly. The clothes she had been gifted were fanciful and bizarre and were, ultimately, proof of the bonds that she had made along the way.

   “Are you ready?” serena’s voice was gawky. Raspy. Yet, she was unbelievably excited. A whole new adventure awaited them, just a little bit over the cliff and then bam! They would be there.

   Ruri’s mouth quirked. She swallowed and she gazed into Serena’s eyes. They were so blithe and wide: a beautiful, slate blue eyes which were completely and utterly keen. Ruri smiled. Serena’s ears flicked, irritated by the wind so high up where they stood. They were so close and yet so far and the moment slowed. Ruri found herself reflecting on her – their – adventure which had brought them to this dazzlingly high cliffside anyway.

   The edge was so precarious. So high up and the cliff, crumbly with springy grass, yearned to kiss the sky. To jump down, to rise up, it wasn’t all that different to how Ruri had arrived. She beamed, though. To think, so much had changed in so little time. A few days, perhaps. Perhaps more, perhaps less, she would soon discover the round-about way in which time flowed – or more accurately did not flow – rather swiftly yet she held Serena’s hand and her breath.

   Thinking, thinking, thinking about the thump, thump, thump of the white rabbit which had caught her eye in that dire moment. That rabbit had helped her escape what could have been a disastrously boring life. A life which was not for the likes of Kurosaki Ruri. She didn’t want to settle down with a strained smile with a boy that she was falling out of love with. She wanted to grin and to be as free as a bird. She wanted to have an adventure and when the ring had dazzled her eyes in the morning sun in the garden party, Ruri quickly and embarrassedly fled the moment she saw that fat, white rabbit in her peripheries.

   And what a joyous thing that had been. She followed that white rabbit down into its hole and she tumbled into a room. A true and broad room of oak and with a talking door knob and with a bowl of biscuits which when she ate, she grew ginormous but when she ate others, she became tinier than a thimble. It had caused her a great deal of distress, growing and shrinking like that, but once she had puzzled her way out of that little room, she felt as proud as pink punch.

   Then, she was free to wander. She had a whole and beautiful world ahead of her. One the likes of which she had never seen. Nonce signs pointed her the way as she trod through a gigantic garden and where she encountered roses, and other predatory plants, who could talk. Such a beautiful troupe of colourful plants were all led by one by the name of Yuri and he was a snarky little darling whom Ruri did not initially trust but he had a captive stare. He wanted a guest out of her and a guest he got through Ruri’s inability to gracefully walk out of the proper garden party etiquette.

   Thus, they talked and talk they did. They had so many opinions on her how she dressed and how she kept her hair. But, despite their overbearing opinions and chatter, they endeared themselves to Ruri regardless and Ruri was endeared to them in return. Once they had run out of gossip to bestow upon her, Yuri gave her flowers to wear in her hair – and those strange things with ribbed leaves and toothed eyes and beautiful petals remained in her long, purple tresses even now. Though the wind, like a cat, threatened to playfully steal them away.

   Once freed of such chatty plants’ clutches, Ruri had the pleasure to continue walking through this strange new world wherein she soon met Mieru the Caterpillar. Mieru was a hedonistic creature with a braggart personality regarding supposed psychic talents. She languidly lounged upon a cluster of green and purple mushrooms which were nearly as big as most trees that Ruri had seen. But she was kind of soul and conversational too despite her wrapped up in ribbons-type of eccentricities. Mieru wanted to know who Ruri was and where Ruri had come from and where she was going. And when she had asked the little dove girl that final question, her emerald green eyes keened and narrowed curiously and peculiarly.

   In hindsight, the answer was obvious. Ruri was on a whimsical and fated journey. But, doused in the sunbeams coming through shaky, lilac foliage, shifting her weight beneath her creamy yellow sundress, she hadn’t known. Thus, Mieru offered Ruri some advice in that moment in front of the mushrooms. Whilst blowing hookah smoke which tasted of green apples and tobacco, Mieru produced a prediction.

   She shuffled through cards and coins and came to a cartomancy conclusion validated by her shiny additions. She grinned and she pointed at Ruri, startling and announcing that she would find her way so long as she kept going forward like the olive branch dove soul that she had and that she was, most assuredly, going to return home despite the odds of having fallen into Wonderland as she had. Ruri nodded fiercely upon hearing this and Mieru sent her on her way.

   Thus, Ruri continued into the forest and down the oddly misplaced yellow brick road. But the road grew thin and thinner until it was mere pebbles no longer coloured akin to sunshine. And the forest grew thicker and thicker until it blotted out all the sky and clouds. It grew colder too. Like a snowy and frigid storm was passing through but alas, no such flakes fell. It was simply cold and dark and kind of damp, as well.

   And, with no road to follow, Ruri found herself collapsing. She was lost. Completely and utterly lost – and not to mention disillusioned with what that pipsqueak fortune teller had had to say. There was no such home at the end of this path. There was no path. It had up and turned to dust, swept away by little dust bin birds.

   Yet, in her weeping and sobbing, Ruri found the eyes which turned upon her in her despair. Curious and unfeeling. A grey in colour. With a voice that followed: purring and callous.

   “Why so unhappy, little bird?” the cat had asked.

   The cat which went unseen and which went every which way. Ruri lifted her head and ceased her sobbing. For the third time, she spieled her woes and miseries. She poured out her heart to the creature which went all but unseen. Listening, but not necessarily caring. Ruri confessed of how she had fallen out of love with her childhood friend turned lover; she detested how he anchored her, snuffing out her impossible thoughts by telling her to simply smile for him and him alone. She hated it. She wanted to smile for all the world; not just some phantom knight her brother approved of.

   The cat smirked. “Then simply be free.” she told Ruri with her uppity hands on her hips.

   Ruri guffawed. “It can’t be that simple.”

   “Ah, but it can be. When you’re a cat. When you’re winged like you.”

   “Prove it.” Ruri piped up. “Prove to me that I can be free of this love I don’t want.”

   With a flick of her tail, the cat appeared before Ruri in all her moonlight-like glory. She bent down over Ruri and gave a sniff. Ruri stiffened. She did not like being sniffed by the feline-like human – or perhaps human-like feline – in front of her.

   “I can’t.” the cat said. “I can only tell you that left is right and right is left, and right is right, and you should leave to the left if you want to leave.”

   Ruri’s lower lip simpered. Quivered. She felt a quimble upon her mouth before she spoke: “Then come with me. I’ll prove it to you. That I can be free.”

   “That sounds wonderful, dovey.” The cat replied. “So, does the bird have a name?”

   “Does the cat?” Ruri retorted.

   And it was through such an exchange, that both the bird girl and the girl cat felt the tug of fate. That this was someone who would be very important to them one day. One day soon. Perhaps in five minutes’ time; perhaps in five years’ time.  Regardless, their hands slotted together, and they exchanged names.

   Her name was Serena and her name was Ruri and together they were going to have an adventure. And an adventure they had. They travelled through the forest, on paths which weren’t paths at all. Through the bandy-legged grass and through the curly-wurly, topsy-turvy trees until they found themselves where they needed to be.

   It was difficult to tell how much time had passed between then and now and then again. Especially since their feet did not grow weary, though their mouths did grow parched and their stomachs did idly groan for food. Even now, at the edge of the cliff, Ruri couldn’t discern how much time had passed between arriving in that oaky little room to meeting Yuri and then Mieru and then Serena and then the Mad Hatter known as Dennis.

   Though their feet did not tire, their minds wandered too as pulled along by the whimsy of their stomachs. Thus, it was Serena’s idea – when Ruri’s incessant mumbling about being hungry – that they find themselves at the edge of the forest and just before the Duchess’s meadow for a spot of tea. At the time, Ruri didn’t know how they would find tea in the middle of nowhere but fortunately, tea would find them in the middle of everywhere.

   A few steps this way and a few steps that way and before they knew it, they found a gate attached to a hedge maze. They didn’t even have to push on said gate, which was ornate and decadent yet quite rusted, to gain entry. In fact, someone on the other, obscured slightly by the grate, opened it for them and out came whizz-bang fireworks and more.

   Both girls were grabbed and suddenly found themselves whirled through a maze and at its very centre, they were sat down at a white table which was higher at one end than the other and constantly going up and down as a result with a rather strange party. The ginger-haired youth, a boy with white rabbit ears, a girl with mouse ears and a boy with cocoa-brown hare ears. And now that Ruri and Serena had arrived, planted on wobbly chairs and in front of a grand-looking feast of heavily iced cakes and overstuffed sandwiches, it seemed that the party could begin.

   The Hatter was the one to take the lead on introductions as Serena was too busy tearing into the various sandwiches. He introduced himself as Dennis, the dormouse as Rin, the march hare as Yugo, and before he could get another word in, the boy with white rabbit ears very cheerfully reintroduced himself to Ruri – her amazement as she had, erroneously, never seen the lad before but with a snap of candy between his teeth, he very happily corrected her.

   He was Sora and he was the one who was running late, late, late. And, more importantly, he had been the bunny-rabbit who had been in the right place at the right time by arriving at that garden party when Ruri needed an escape. Though, Sora did flippantly explain that he had only been searching for upper world candies since they were even weirder than Wonderland candies thereby going against the Red King’s orders as he had sent him in a direction completely different and now he was going to be late, late, late for the appointment later but he didn’t care. He had more important things, quite literally, on his plate such as lemon drops and lollipops.

   Thus, with a shrug of his shoulders, Sora then in turn prompted Dennis, “Hey, isn’t it about time we celebrate your Not Birthday?”

   “Not birthday?” Ruri blinked. “What’s your Not Birthday?”

   “The days in which it’s not my birthday, obviously.” Dennis replied as he filled his tea cup to its porcelain brim. “It’s a very important day, after all.”

   Ruri laughed. “How ironic, today is my birthday.”

   “No way!” howled Rin the Dormouse. “We simply have to celebrate it as well.”

   Yugo the March Hare eagerly elbowed Rin the Dormouse.

   “Indeed, indeed, indeed we do.” Dennis agreed. He then hummed. “However, shall we celebrate such a momentous day, after all it’s my Not Birthday and it’s Ruri’s Is Birthday…?”

   Serena sneered. “I think Ruri ought to perform a poem for us.” She said.

   “What, why?” Ruri replied, flustered.

   “A poem! How marvellous! I do love a good show! So, for me, dear Ruri, a poem, please. Anything at all. It is my Not Birthday after all.” Dennis squealed.

   “Do it, do it, do it!” chanted Rin and Yugo in devious glee.

   Ruri shivered but upon casting a glance at Serena, Serena who wanted to see her fail likely because it would be amusing, her conviction steeled. Her hand turned to a fist in front of her breast.

    “I’ll do it.” Ruri said and she got up abruptly.

   She hastily downed the last – the all – of her tea. She wiped her mouth and Dennis whistled. Ruri took a breath and she tried to recall some poetry that her mother used to recite her in lieu of lullabies. Poems that Ruri could no longer recall but poems which she took heart in. She spoke up and she spoke clearly, enunciating to the best of her abilities. She rambled, yes, but on bountiful topics. Switching quickly between tangents and trying to find a rhythm and rhyme.

   Her audience looked upon her with bright eyes. Dennis clapped her on, clearly enjoying the entertainment for his Not Birthday. Rin and Yugo were quiet in their awe. Sora looked chuffed; taking pride in the fact that he was the one who had inadvertently drawn such an impossibly clever girl to their tea party at all. And, as for dear and mischievous Serena, she found herself a touch guilty for setting up Ruri for what had been perceived as failure but was actually a chance for growth. As it would turn out, she truly wasn’t some weepy human girl. She was quite strong and stronger still she would get on their adventures, likely, after all there was still miles to go between here and there.

   Ruri took a sweeping bow. “Finished.” She said, panting as her hair tumbled down over her.

   “Oh, look up,” Serena pouted, “you did good.”

   “Really?” Ruri perked up, smiling and blushing.

   “Yeah, you did.” Serena said.

   “Yes, yes, simply marvellous work!” Dennis crooned.

   “Hey, hey, isn’t someone late for something?” Yugo interrupted.

   Rin nodded and folded her arms. “Mm, mm, yeah, someone’s totally late for something even more important than Dennis’ Not Birthday.”

   “N-Not true.” Sora lied through jittering teeth. Yet, he got up abruptly with locked elbows regardless. He blushed. “I just have other things to attend to. I’m totally booked from here to Smarch and Decembruary.”

   “Sure, sure…” Rin mumbled, snarky.

   “Yeah, I do!” snapped Sora.

   “And your totally not afraid of the Red King, too.” Yugo added to Rin’s cackling amusement.

   “I am too afraid of the Red King!” Sora yelled.

   “Don’t you mean… not afraid of the, um, Red King?” Ruri asked.

   Sora stiffened, ears twitching. “Whatever. I’m leaving.” he announced, uppity, then bounced off.

   “Should we be leaving as well? After all, it’s only a party after the number of six. Anything before is five and therefore, a crowd.”

   “I thought three’s a crowd.” piped up Rin.

   “Serena’s right though… We should really get a hurry on.” Ruri worried.

   “Very well, very well… Off you go then, break my heart.” Dennis quibbled, nodding solemnly.

   “Aw, Dennis,” Ruri mumbled, “we’ll be back. One day. Hopefully.”

   “Unless the Red King cuts off our heads first.” Serena joked darkly.

   Ruri swallowed. “Is that, um, something we have to worry about?”

   “More likely than not, yes.” Yugo replied.

   “Oh yes, the Red King loves cutting off people’s heads.” Dennis quickly added.

   “We’re not going to meet the Red King, are we?” Ruri asked in a tiny voice.

   The party – or the group or crowd or whatever the five of them were now that Sora the White Rabbit had bounded off – fell quiet. Ruri glanced among them. All refused to meet her gaze. That was, until, Dennis found his voice.

   “Er, probably not. After all, he doesn’t cavort with us. He eats his honey sandwiches in private.” Dennis said. “But, that’s that. We’re here. I bid ye well on your journeys.”

   “Thanks Dennis.” Serena gruffly replied.

   Regardless, with that, the girls took their leave. Dennis, Rin, and Yugo jovially bade them goodbye. With their bellies full, the girls left the party and the maze and then, eventually, the forest. All whilst Ruri contemplated what she had learned of this Red King fellow. He seemed a vicious person.

   In hindsight, Ruri knew better. At the time, she had all sorts of imaginings about the Red King and his red-rum cruelty. She thought of heads which may roll, including her own and Serena’s too, should they encounter such a gruesome person. She was terrified of this regal spectre of a terrifying person screeching “Off with her head! Off with her head!” like Dennis and his party had alluded to.

   Yet, Ruri felt strangely calmed by Serena’s presence amid the reveries in her head. She got the feeling – and would later confirm such a feeling – that Serena was a grounded person, more or less. It was difficult to affirm that as she was as much a cat as a person and cats weren’t known for being grounded, but Serena was quite courageous-seeming, nonetheless.

   Upon leaving the forest, they happened upon blue skies and a meadow. The meadow was grand and wide with soft, pale-coloured grass to traipse through. There was something in the distance, something big and grand and it caught their attention. And curiosity always draws in a cat, so Serena decided, unceremoniously, that they ought to investigate and Ruri, thinking Serena was cute in her curiosity, was more than happy to abide.

   Thus, they happened upon the threshold of a rather charming house. It had a cream coloured exterior bedecked with planter box after planter box. Coming from somewhere inside of it, music box tones could be heard. It was a soft, drifting sound which entranced both girls.

   “Should we go in?” Ruri asked as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other on the porch of this grandiose yet endearing house.

   “Of course, we should.” Serena replied without aplomb.

   “But that’s breaking and entering!” Ruri cried out.

   “Only entering.” Serena retorted.

   “Indeed, only entering.” a third girl spoke.

   Ruri yelped when she realised that in her and Serena’s rapport, the door had opened on its own and now there was another person in their midst. She smiled brightly with an eerily familiar face framed by pink ponytails.

   “Are you two the babysitters that I requested?” she asked. She paused and hummed.

   “Babysitters…?” Ruri mumbled.

   “Well, maybe not you, Serena. I would have asked for you specifically, huh, my dear?” The girl reached out and scratched Serena behind her ear.

   Serena blushed and purred. Ruri felt a spark of jealousy.

   “So, are you, my dear,” the girl said addressing Ruri, oblivious to Ruri’s sudden jealous streak, “the babysitter or not?”

   “Of course, she’s the baby sitter, Yuzu.” Serena huffed and then winked.

   “Fabulous.” Yuzu said. “Now, I’ll leave you two in charge then. Please make pepper soup for the little ones whilst I go collect my father. My father and I have a very important croquet match to go to…. But, will I see you there, Serena?”

   Serena shrugged. “But who’ll look after the kids?”

   “Oh, I’ll be back soon, silly. I just need to make sure Dad wrangled up all the flamingos necessary for the croquet match. Once I’m back, you two should join us – and the kids – for the croquet match. It’s sure to be smashing.” Yuzu said.

   “That sounds like a lot of fun.” Ruri replied. “I’ll look forward to it.”

   “Thank you so much, um, uh… I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name, I’m Duchess Yuzu.” She said.

   “Kurosaki Ruri.”

   “What an unusual name! Well, anyways, I’m off.” Duchess Yuzu said and with a skip in her step, she hurried off, passing Serena and Ruri.

   There was a pause and Ruri screwed up her face. “…Did she imply that flamingos are necessary for a… croquet match?” Ruri asked.

   “Well, duh. Yeah.” Serena replied and before the conversation could progress, three screaming voices were heard inside the house.

   Thus, propelling both girls to race inside the house. The house was decorated sublimely with cosy furniture though there was little which matched. As they ran through the corridors, they happened up a kitchen where two boys and one girl screamed and screamed because they were hungry, and they were starving! They were all but neglected in the middle of this decadent house.

   Nonetheless, Ruri snapped into homemaking mode. She took the names of the children – Futoshi, Tasuya, and Ayu – and she started to make pepper soup for them like Duchess Yuzu had asked. In the meantime, Serena planted herself on the floor and let them tug and touch her ears and tail despite it hurting very much whenever the children’s grubby hands yanked on her. But she suffered and she suffered for Ruri as she understood that hot soup would not be very good if spilt on a child, particularly their head.

   Still, it was kind of nice. Ruri liked the domestic, she excelled when it came to hard work and things like cooking and cleaning. She enjoyed it. Serena was the reverse. She was a feline of the wilds, she wasn’t good at this sort of thing, except maybe keeping the kids occupied because she was mostly just a bigger, furrier child not all that different from these smaller, hairless childs.

   The kitchen began to smell of pepper as Ruri set everything to boil whilst humming a little tune under her breath. She wasn’t certain what pepper soup was supposed to be, but she supposed so long as it had carrots and chicken and a whole lot of pepper, it couldn’t be too bad. A thought proven correct when she had Futoshi, Tatsuya, and Ayu set the table for the five of them because lunch was ready to be served. Furthermore, in grand timing, Duchess Yuzu and her Father had returned from the latter’s adventures. So, a table setting of five quickly turned to seven and what a lovely number seven was.

   Despite having gorged themselves on cakes, sandwiches, and tea at the Mad Hatter’s Not Birthday Tea Party, Ruri and Serena found themselves happy to have a share in the soup regardless. The seven of them had their pepper soup with thick-crusted bread slathered with a salted butter. And it was very good. Yuzu’s Father, Duke Shuzo, simply crooned in adoration over his daughter’s similarly faced new friend upon finishing his bowl; to the embarrassment of both girls. The children meanwhile begged for seconds and thirds with extra helpings of buttered bread, too. And Serena watched on, warmed by the soup in her mouth and by the fact that Ruri had made it. She was a good cook.

   With the kids fed, the Duke and Duchess having returned from their flamingo-related ventures, it was time for them to make leave once more. Something Ruri was excited by. She had never played croquet but to her understanding, it was a civilised and fanciful game which she very much wanted to play so, she buzzed with enjoyment as they all made their way through the meadow and closer still to when this croquet tournament was being held.

   A notion which made present Ruri cringe. But only because she had the great knowledge of what happened next for, in the past, she did not have the foresight of asking whom they would be playing croquet with or where they would be playing croquet. Not once through all the chatter, did it occur to the previous Ruri to ask. At least not until they arrived before a grandiose castle with blocky parapets and unfurling, red, diamante flags.

   Ruri’s knees knocked as she, with the rest of the group, or party as there was more than six of them, waited outside the castle, on the fringe of the mossy moat, and waiting to gain entrance.

   Ruri swallowed. “Um, Duchess Yuzu, who are we – you? – playing croquet against?”

   “Why, the Red King of course.” Duchess Yuzu blithely replied.

   “The Red King? What one who tells people off with their head all the time?” Ruri cowered.

   “Well, yes, the very same. But he’s very perfectly wonderful once you get to know him.” Duchess Yuzu.

   Her father suppressed a sob at that mention. Serena noticed but didn’t raise brow as compared to Ruri who found it… hinky to say the least. Nonetheless, they continued to wait, despite Ruri’s hesitations, and soon enough, the drawbridge careened down with a resounding thwack against the ground. Trumpets played and playing card soldiers granted them access into the castle.

   They revered some of the party members, such as Duchess Yuzu and her father, but gave suspicious eye to the children and to Serena and especially Ruri as she was markedly different even in this markedly different world. It made her feel small and nervous. Strangely, Serena noticed and purposefully bumped their elbows together. It was a gesture to take heart, Ruri realised and soon enough, they arrived.

   The courtyards which ringed with the intense-looking castle with more diamond motifs that you could poke six sticks at were various flower fields. Most were hedged and most were bedecked with white roses. However, the field that they had been taken too was flat and most plantless. Furthermore, it was ringed by little steely coils to help designate the space in which could be played upon. Throughout this designated space of finely cut grass were little hoops.

   Duchess Yuzu squealed. “Oh, this is going to be fun. I can’t wait for the other team to arrive.” She paused and then glanced at Ruri then hummed.

   “Look, there they come now.” Tatsuya said, wide-eyed and pointing.

   Ruri turned her head.  She watched a haphazard procession came through. Lounging on an ornate chair, the Red King proceeded through, carried by his playing card game soldiers. He teetered precariously one way and then another as he was carried through. Trailing behind him was a crew of four who seemed to be far more important than the soldiers but far less significant than the King himself. Two were dressed as body guards with sun and moon motifs, one was a child of indeterminate gender wearing the motif of clubs and clover, and the fourth was dressed garishly and in an Avant Garde way which seemed even bizarre among his Wonderland kin, beamed a starlit, self-important smile from behind caramel-coloured hair.

   Eventually the processing came to a shambling halt and the Red King was set down. Duke Shuzo stiffened and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. The child cautiously edged through the crowd and the Red King noticed. Ruri blinked. She couldn’t believe her eyes, but the diamond hard face of the Red King seemed to visibly soften and then, he allowed the child to take his hand.

   Perhaps, Ruri realised – and would again change her mind a few times between here and now – that she had type cast the Red King too quickly based on rumour alone.

   “Greetings and salutations,” the Red King said, “I take it that we are all ready for the games to begin?”

   “Not quite.” Duchess Yuzu replied.

   The Red King raised a brow. “How so? We have the flamingos, we have the players, and most importantly we have our goal posts, so we really ought to begin. You know I don’t like to waste time.”

   “Yes, yes, I know.” Duchess Yuzu huffed. “It’s just one of our players,” she put her hands on her hips, “she isn’t suitably dressed for the event. One can’t play in such a short dress, after all.”

   Ruri stiffened. She suspected that Duchess Yuzu meant her, even though Ayu was wearing a bright pink skirt which was knee-length and therefore only slightly longer than her yellow sundress which went to her mid-thigh. She felt her palms sweat when the Red King’s calculating gaze drifted her to.

   “And who might be this player? I know all the scoundrels and good underlings in my kingdom, otherwise how else am I to know who’s head I want a platter and yet,” the Red King drawled in a playfully cruel way, “and yet, I do not you.”

   “That’s because she’s not from under, she’s from over.” Duchess Yuzu explained.

   “Fascinating. I’ve always wanted to have a rapport with those from up there.” Then, to Ruri, he said: “I look forward to defeating you at croquet, once Yuzu has suitably dressed you up.”

   “Thank you, darling.” Duchess Yuzu snickered and she went up on her tip-toes.

   With a long-suffering sigh, the Red King obliged the Duchess. He leaned down and she pecked his angular face chastely. The child by his side blushed and when Duchess Yuzu went down onto her pointed, black cherry heels, she flashed a smile at said child who grew even shyer.

   “It is court manner that no games begin until all players are ready. Now, hurry up. If you expend any time outside of thirty minutes, I will have both your heads cut off.” The red King said.

   “You say that very time, Reiji, dear.” Duchess Yuzu chuckled and she then grabbed Ruri’s hand. “But you heard the man, let’s hurry.”

   “Huh? Wha-?” Ruri squealed and she, in turn, grabbed Serena’s hand.

   Serena hissed at having been grabbed randomly and of course yanked along, but she was somewhat forgiving of Ruri who had done such atrocities against her because she was in the exact same position. Duchess Yuzu grandly pulled both girls along and into the castle where she quickly barged in against various soldiers and maids and others employed to the Red King.

   In the castle, Duchess Yuzu had her own home away from home. For all intents and purposes, her home – the charming country manor – had been lifted from where it stood in the meadow and inserted into the castle. That is how identical it was, or at least to Ruri, as she was pulled and yanked around and thrown into a luxurious-looking wardrobe bigger than her own room back home with about fifteen-minutes to spare and with Duchess Yuzu chasing after her thereafter.

   Serena, however, remained outside and made herself comfortable in the exact manner like a cat ought to, that is with one leg over the other and her face in her hands and her tail flicking around and her spine curling inwards unnaturally, on a velvety, chaise lounge. Still, she waited expectantly for Duchess Yuzu and Ruri to emerge nonetheless, despite what her languid and unexcited exterior may have implied.

   Inside that walk-in wardrobe, Ruri had great fun at the mercy of Duchess Yuzu and her tastes in fashion. She threw all sorts of cloaks and dresses and petticoats and more at her, expecting her to put at least half of them on her wiry little body. A task which Ruri laughed at but tried to take in good stride. After all, it was rather a good time even with time – and the Red King’s hypothetically empty – threat breathing down their necks.

   When Ruri emerged from the walk-in wardrobe, and appeared before Serena, Serena made an expression which Ruri would cherish forever. She perked up and her tail stiffened before whipping around quickly. Her eyes dilated and widened in rapid succession before darting away, embarrassed, from the general direction of where Ruri stood with Duchess Yuzu lurking beside her, proud as a peacock.

   “She looks good, doesn’t she?” Duchess Yuzu asked smirkfully as she grabbed Ruri’s shoulders before putting her in a forceful spin.

   Ruri giggled as she was forcibly spun. Her hair swished around, so did her petticoats. She had to admit, these Wonderland fashions, as seemingly impractical as they were and would not doubt prove to be, were a lot of fun. She felt good in these clothes; the bouncy, blue skirt and the white pinafore over it with black bird detailing and the jacket that she had been given too. It was all a lot of fun, especially in light of Serena’s reaction, but it all came crashing down when Duchess Yuzu dragged them both out of the castle and back out to the courtyard where destiny – which took the form of various flamingos and a supposed croquet match – waited.

   “We’re good now.” Duchess Yuzu said almost breathlessly to the Red King.

   “Excellent. Then, let the games begin.” he said.

   Upon his rather casual announcement, his sun-and-moon themed bodyguards pulled the strings attached to some party crackles. In a puff of pathetic smoke, limp confetti burst through in reaction. Both party-popper pullers looked rather underwhelmed, but it was difficult to judge as their faces were mostly obscured.

   “Fantastic. I love a thrilling display such as that.” The Red King continued. “Now, let us play.”

   Duke Shuzo then thrust a flamingo into Ruri’s hand. It squawked and flapped its neon pink wings, but she held on tightly until it simpered down, to her shock and astonishment. Meanwhile, more flamingos – help upside down by their skinny legs – were handed out and the first match up of the croquet game followed.

   Ruri then attempted to observe very closely how the game was played. That was impossible. This didn’t look anything like the nice, civil game that fictional pommy British people played in their upper crust backyards on her television. This was chaos. Not even organised chaos. This was little kids playing games and having a ball: yet games were treated most seriously by the older participants of the game.

   The first match up was Ayu against Futoshi and that lasted a few moments. Ayu somehow, miraculously in Ruri’s opinion, disqualified herself but Ruri suspects it had something to do with the fact that Ayu tried to smack Futoshi over the head, purposefully, with her flamingo. She seemed to have a rather blood-thirsty play style. So, Futoshi won, only to lose in his next match against Tatsuya.

   Tatsuya then in turn trumped Futoshi because Futoshi made the surprisingly illegal move of summoning badly drawn dinosaurs onto the field, which Ruri thought was strange. After all, they permitted those little purple parrots to be there, but she still had no clue what any of the rules were. But, at least from this match, she gleaned some understanding on how to earn points. Futoshi may have lost but at not before scoring at least eight points because he got the rolled-up hedgehog croquet balls through the hoops a couple of times.

   Proceeding Tatsuya against Futoshi was Tatsuya against the little child of indeterminate gender whose names was soon thereafter revealed as being Reira. The match which ensued between Tatsuya and Reira was, to Ruri’s surprise, the game which most resembled what she knew of croquet. Points were scored rather tamely and steadily. Both childs put up a good fight, but as time drew on – and compared to the previous matches which had spanned a top of seventeen minutes – the match grew fiercer and fiercer and in the direction of Reira’s eventual win. Reira had a rather meek play style, but it scored them more points, all in all, than Tatsuya.

   Still, as the little sibling of the Red King, Ruri was secretly gladdened that Reira’s win seemed to have been outside of the influence or domain of such an older brother who did proudly look on when Reira was crowned victorious. And with such a win under their belt, the next round followed with the other, slightly older age group followed.

   Duchess Yuzu played a match against one of King Reiji’s consorts who was a youth by the name of Shingo and claimed to have many more ‘newer’ and ‘neo’ names, all suitable to his status as a supernova. Personality-wise, Shingo – who was apparently a viscount or something – was a more regrettable choice on his decision of allowing such a boastful person in his inner sanctum. Though, Duchess Yuzu was quite thrilled at the match-up regardless.

   Their game spanned about forty-two minutes and it was rather rapturously enjoyable from the sidelines. Shingo may have been a braggart showman, but he was still a showman. His game was marvellously exciting and rife with slapstick comedy that Duchess Yuzu was more than happy to facilitate with the aide of her paper fan; a weapon of choice which Ruri was surprised to realise was permitted. And such a weapon did aide her finely when she used it to distract Shingo from earning the final point he needed and instead claiming it for herself, breaking what was the deuce between them and therefore ending the game in Duchess Yuzu’s favour.

   With the first win under her belt, King Reiji decided that his darling Duchess Yuzu would then go against his sun-themed body guard, Hikage the Tweedle-Sun. Hikage was promptly defeated by Duchess Yuzu in about eight minutes. It was difficult to discern, from Ruri’s perspective, if it was because Hikage had just stood there, uncaring or caring too much. Regardless, Duchess Yuzu won and therefore she could proceed to the next round, which was supposed to be versing against Serena, but someone late finally decided to show up.

   With hop, hop, hopping, Sora the White Rabbit finally returned from wherever he had gone and apparently where he had gone had had plenty of candy in return for getting lost, lost, lost. Regardless, with a long-suffering sigh, Red King Reiji made rearrangements to his schedule so that this mischievous rabbit could play too. Rather than have Duchess Yuzu against the Cheshire Cat, he decided that Sora would play Tsukikage the Tweedle-Moon since Tweedle-Sun had already lost to Duchess Yuzu.

   Compared to the match between Duchess Yuzu and Hikage which had been very quick and rather unexciting, Sora and Tsukikage’s match was wildly different. It was weird and rollicking, filled with pranks and not all that much point scoring. The two were more preoccupied on who could be stealthier, and both were proving to be rather finicky contestants in that department. After all, there was no shadow like that of the mysterious moon’s, but it seemed that bunny rabbits could be just as deceptive and feral. In the half an hour or so their game spanned, not a single point which Ruri could properly count was scored and when their game hit about thirty-nine minutes, the Red King decided that they would squander no further time. Thus, resulting in the first – and only – match without a winner. It wasn’t necessarily a draw, but both boys were decided, externally, to be losers.

   With Sora against Tsukikage settled, as petulantly as possible, the match up of Duchess Yuzu against Serena could go ahead. And what a match it was. Both girls seemed equally capable of winning, but Serena had the, surprisingly legal, advantage of invisibility and that gave her an edge over the Duchess and became key to her very well-wrought win. One which had taken Ruri’s breath away when Red King Reiji personally adjudicated the final point to go to Serena.

   Yet, despite this advantage, when Serena was deemed fit to proceed in the match-ups, it was not she who want in her next game. Even when the Red King decided, in his infinite wisdom, that her opponent was to be Ruri. Simple, avian Ruri from a different world entirely who didn’t even know a fraction of the game’s rules.

   Ruri found that her heart did not stop pounding from the moment she went onto the field clutching the flamingo’s legs like pearls to all the way to where she stood presently on the cliff’s edge. It had been all sorts of heart-pounding: terror, enjoyment, excitement, fear, and more. Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump: her heart did pound as she played, and Serena gave her all throughout. There was not mercy from that kitty-cat. But Ruri persevered and in it, she had a grand time, thwacking and swacking at the hedgehog balls, getting them through the hoops nailed into the ground enough times to put her over the edge.

   The game likely lasted for about twenty-three minutes and what a twenty-three minutes they were. Ruri enjoyed every single second, even when she teetered and tottered because she had no idea what she was doing but she was doing it fabulously, even against Serena who could turn invisible and had the even more lawding advantage of knowing how to play this strange brand of croquet.

   And when the hoops were shot through for the final time, Ruri was ecstatic to be crowned the victor. Something that Serena made her feel even more amazing about when she praised Ruri for how she played. The little bird had gotten away from the cat this time.

   Having won in the seemingly unfairly chosen brackets, Ruri had, in hindsight rather vainly, assumed that she had won over everyone. But then, he who had not yet played coughed and then delicately was handed a flamingo. It was now Red King Reiji’s turn to play and he wanted to play with Ruri as Ruri had been the one to emerge from said brackets in victory.

   However, Ruri was not one to back away from a challenge. She may face up to said challenges with a quickening pace in her chest and a dribble from her eye, but she always found the courage somewhere so, she decided to face up to her fears and take the Red King on in this fantastical game of flamingo croquet.

    Despite the frivolity of Shingo’s showmanship and the manoeuvres of the match between Sora and Tsukikage, the match between Ruri and Red King Reiji was soon perceived as the uncontestably most violent. Their match was aggressively hard-headed, but it was surprisingly fun, Ruri found. It was difficult but she got there in the end and managed to do what no one thought was possible.

   Ruri toppled the Red King. She was the winner with fifty-seven points whereas Red King Reiji had only scored fifty-six in the time the match spanned which was about sixty-seven minutes long, making it the longest game as well. Not that Ruri felt such a thing. She had spent so much of it running for her life with a flamingo in her hands that it had hadn’t felt all that long at all.

   However, regardless, Ruri had won. The Red King had not and that had made him very, very, very mad.

   His whole court stood quiet. Even Duchess Yuzu who seemed to be on a very playful note had turned solemn when they all watched a cruel glower form across his grey brow.

   “I’ve never been defeated before.” he announced; his voice was threadbare. “Especially not by some interloper from another world.”

   “W-Well, um, good game, right?” Ruri had asked in humble futility.

   “Off… with… her… head!” the Red King announced tersely.

   “W-W-W-Wait! Surely, she’s entitled to her win. She won fair and square.” Serena said with flailing hand gestures.

   “Exactly,” Duchess Yuzu replied, derisive and with her hands on her hips, “and if she has not, then she deserves a trial at the very least to determine if she has won fair and square or not. I summon… the Mock Turtle and his assistant, the Gryphon.”

   “Um, Duchess Yuzu, not to impede on your brilliance or anything…” Sora piped up with a rather nervous demeanour. “But, isn’t the, uh, Mock Turtle… for mocking? He’s our jester! Well, our jester. Your and Reiji’s… plaything.”

   “Er, any defence is better than no defence.” Ruri decided to mumble.

   The Red King grinned widely and madly. “Fantastic. Let us summon the Mock Turtle right away. This ought to be good.”

   “Really he should have been here from the start,” Duchess Yuzu huffed, “after all, it’s very rude of him to miss such a game of croquet played between us both.”

   With a snap of his fingers, Red King Reiji’s playing card soldiers were falling over one another to summon the mysterious duo of the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon to the courtyard. In the meantime, for their amusement and to help officiate this mock trial, Tweedle-Sun and Tweedle-Moon constructed a podium for the trials to take place. Something that was then decorated with various flowers by Duchess Yuzu and Sora in protest of Ruri’s supposed crimes.

   Regardless, eventually, Ruri was introduced to the Mock Turtle and his assistant the Gryphon. And they were most certainly not the pair that she had been expecting. Especially not as her defence. They were a joke. Quite literally. A comedic routine between them; Yuya the Mock Turtle, a sheepish yet draconic-looking lad, and Noboru the Gryphon with white wings of justice.

   “I am persecuting Ruri of Not Wonderland with the crimes of cheating in a game of croquet against me, the sovereign ruler of Wonderland. How do you plead?” the Red King asked, pacing, in front of Ruri was placed behind.

   “Not guilty.” She said.

   “Don’t be insolent, your clearly guilty.” snapped Red King Reiji. “Defence, how do you stand?” He barked his question at the pair who jittered.

   “Um… uh… no, your right. She clearly cheated. No one’s ever beaten the King at croquet before. Not even me! Or Yuzu!” exclaimed Yuya.

   “Yuya…” Noboru groaned. “I may have only just met this lass, but I feel she is kind of heart and wing. I say… not guilty.”

   “Exactly! I played and I played to the best of my ability. We don’t play like that where I’m from; I didn’t even have any of the rules. How could I have cheated if I didn’t know how to win in the first place? You’re just a spoiled sore loser, Reiji.” Ruri caustically spat.

   “Off with her head! She must be guilty; no one else would back chat me like that!” screamed Red King Reiji.

   “She’s not from here…” Yuya mumbled, eyes widening.

   “Here she is not from.” Noboru sagely added.

   “Yes, I’m not from here?” Ruri affirmed.

   “Your honour, my King, but you have no right to accuse this girl of cheating because you are accusing her on the grounds of Wonderland, and she is not from here. Therefore, she can’t be tried and must be acquitted. She is not guilty. She won fair and square despite these advantages, sir.” Noboru said.

   “Yeah! Exactly!” Yuya piped up. “As her defence, that’s how we plead.”

   “Thank you so much!” Ruri tearfully exclaimed.

   “How can she not be tried on my laws if she is however currently standing on my land then?” Red King Reiji inquired.

   “Oh no…” Ruri mumbled.

   “Oh, that’s easy,” Yuya said, “she’s not standing on your land.”

   “What, huh?” Noboru said and Yuya grabbed his hand.

   He carted Noboru to behind the stand. He then whispered in both Ruri and Noboru’s ears and they were both delighted by this plan that Yuya had concocted. With a squeal and a kick, Ruri allowed herself to be picked up and placed on Yuya’s shoulders and he, in turn, was then placed on Noboru’s.

   “See? She’s not standing on your land therefore she cannot be tried by your land’s laws.” Yuya said, uppity.

   Ruri stuck out her tongue. She thought – and she still does think – that Yuya was very clever in his retort. She especially thought that he and Noboru were much, physically stronger than they looked; like circus people, she thought and still does think.

   However, regardless, Ruri had won. The Red King had not and that had made him very, very, very impressed.

   “Congratulations, Ruri of Not Wonderland,” he told her to officiate the ending of the trial, “as winner, of both this trial and your croquet match against me, you may request a prize of me.” He pushed up his glasses.

   “A prize?” Ruri echoed from up on high.

   “You can ask for anything in all the worlds.” the Red King replied.

   “I can? Amazing…” Ruri mumbled and she glanced at Serena. “Anything at all?”

   “Yes. Was that not clear?” he asked.

   “Can I ask to return home? A-And can I bring someone with me? I want to take her on an adventure like the one that she has taken me.” Ruri said with yet another glance cast backwards towards Serena who folded her arms embarrassedly but by the flicks that her ears and tail were giving, she seemed rather willing in her obstinance.

   “I don’t see why not. I mean, I let that rodent Sora venture out and I’m quite sure that feline will be more well-behaved than him.” The Red King sighed with a shrug.

   “Hey…” Sora groaned with an accusatory glare.

   “Very well, you have my blessing.” the Red King said with a flippant hand gesture.

   “Yippee! Fantastic! Oh this is going to be most wonderful!” Ruri squealed.

   Her excitement slowly caused the people pyramid she was on top of topple. Noboru stumbled one way whilst Yuya swung another on top of his shoulders. Ruri swung both ways and then some. All made terrified and surprised wobbling noises with their mouths.

   Serena, not frozen despite her fear for how things could go wrong, sprung into action. She followed them this way and that way until they all came tumbling down like Humpty Dumpty. Noboru landed on his behind and Yuya landed on his head. Both groaned and heaved but were ultimately okay. Ruri was far more fortunate for she had the proactive Serena who pounced at her in the right moment and swaddled her safely. Embracing her not unlike a bride and carrying her away from where she could have hurt either Yuya or Noboru, or where they could have hurt her.

   “Thank you muchly, my pussy cat.” Ruri murmured into Serena’s ear whilst Serena set her down.

   “No, thank you, my birdie-boo.” Serena replied.

   “Are you ready?” Ruri asked as she stumbled slightly, getting her land legs once more whilst the blood cooled from all the adrenaline that it had been producing.

   “Of course, I;m ready.” Serena replied with an ardent gaze in her eyes.

   With those words still ringing through her head, Ruri awoke from her reverie. She enjoyed the whistle of the wind on her face and on her ears. She had one hand locked against Serena’s; her palms were kind of squishy, it was cute.

   “Are you ready?” Ruri asked.

   “Born ready.” Serena replied.

   One, two, three…

   Both girls took the jump. They squealed on the way down as they plunged through the air which felt like shuffled cards flicking against their skin. Their friends cheered as they careened downwards through the air and it was the most keenly aware fugue state that Ruri had ever enjoyed with Serena’s hand squeezing tightly onto hers. It was real. It was about to begin. Their new story; their new adventure; and neither girl could hardly wait as they waited to hit the ground and jump back up through the rabbit hole and into another wonderful world for them to adventure through together.


End file.
